Tag Archive | "convertible"

Posted on 01 June 2016

I often get the chance to handle PCs before they are released but it’s rare that I take such a liking to a product after so long testing it. After three months with a production sample the Lenovo Yoga 710 has become my buddy in-home and on-the-go and it has proven to me how much I like single-unit convertibles over separable tablet 2-in-1’s like the Surface Pro 3. The fanless (silent) light (2.3 pounds) and small (11 inch full HD IPS screen) Lenovo Yoga 710 is now available for pre-order at $549 in the USA (Lenovo) which is an excellent price assuming it has the same fast SSD as the one I’m using here – a Core m5 version with 4GB and 256 GB of SATA SSD. I hope and pray that Lenovo don’t drop an eMMC storage module into the [80TX000BUS] entry-level model.

Here’s a bullet-point review of the Lenovo Yoga 710 that I’m using now. [80TX000CUS]

WiFi – Strong AC but not multi-channel. I have 5 Ghz band support here. That could change in the retail version.

SSD speed – Very fast. I note that the 128 GB version I tested at CeBIT had even better SSD performance.

Watch the overview video of the Lenovo Yoga 710 (90 seconds done for the UMPCPortal Facebook channel – please subscribe) below which might get you into the mood to ask questions. Please do.

As I’m likely to keep this pre-production sample of the Lenovo Yoga 710 for a while longer I can answer any detailed questions you might have apart from really detailed performance test although I’ll have a go at those too and give you the results with a disclaimer. Don’t forget to check out these posts first though. There’s a ton of information in there for you.

Here’s the quick video. A longer video is embedded below. Note that I have a sample Lenovo Yoga 710 on loan from Intel. Performance and specifications can vary between pre-production samples and retail. I am not permitted to do a full review on this production sample. That makes sense!

Posted on 30 May 2016

The Lenovo Yoga 710 that I’m writing on now will be available in 3 weeks for and entry-level price of $549. Pricing appears on the Lenovo USA website. A Lenovo Yoga 710 for $549 will include a Pentium 4405Y CPU which is effectively a cut-down Core M CPU at 1.5 Ghz and a low-end GPU (HD 515) and it allows Lenovo to keep the price down. You’ll still get 128 GB of SSD (not eMMC) and 4 GB of RAM along with Windows 10 and the full HD touchscreen.

I like the Yoga 710 and can tell you with some level of confidence that it will fit well into a home scenario because I’ve used a prototype since March. Battery life is great, the screen is great and it’s incredibly mobile. 2.3 pounds.

The keyboard is great (no backlight though) and it’s silent. Screen brightness is good and it feels like it’s got reasonable color spread and accuracy. Contrast isn’t extreme, but it’s good enough for an excellent video experience.

On the downside there’s only a single full-size USB port and micro HDMI. No microSD expansion.

Add another $100 and you’ll get the Core m3 and 256 GB of SSD and if you want to go up to the Core m5 with 8GB of RAM then you’ll be paying $799 which isn’t bad considering some of the 2-in-1’s running on the same platform are well over $1000.

I like the Yoga 710 a lot. You can read my Yoga 710 first impressions (of the pre-production sample) and if you have any questions please ask below and I’ll do my best to answer.

Shipping is said to be in three weeks.

You can find out more on the USA versions of the Lenovo Yoga 710 here. For those in Germany you’ll find the Yoga 710 listed on Amazon.de for a much higher price.

Here’s my hands-on Lenovo Yoga 710 video from CeBIT.

Keep an eye out for more low-cost laptops and Chromebooks based on this ‘Core M’ CPU because it looks like it’s going to drive prices down. Is there any space for Atom-driven PCs now?

NewsComments Off on New Lenovo Yoga 710 available in 3 weeks for $549 with a Pentium 4405Y

Posted on 29 March 2016

I’ve just posted detailed hands-on information about the excellent Lenovo Yoga 710 11-inch 360-degree convertible and as I read my colleagues review of the Yoga 300 11 I wonder why they bothered. This 360 convertible weighs about 40% more, has less battery life and a very poor screen. Granted, it’s got a useful choice of ports but hey, when the screen is this bad, who’s going to want to use them?

At 400 Euro the Yoga 300 11 (Lenovo Yoga 300-11IBR) with Intel Celeron N3050 and 4GB RAM isn’t even that cheap. The whole package is wrong and will damage the Yoga name. Or perhaps Lenovo are using the Yoga name to try to push through some profitable sales?

The Yoga 300 11 scored 78% at Notebookcheck with the screen score coming in at 72%. In my opinion it should be marked down further than that because the contrast of just 376:1 is the worst I’ve seen since I’ve worked with NBC. [Do yourself a favor and look for a contrast of 1000:1 or more when you buy a laptop.] The colors are inaccurate and limited and there’s a center rightness under battery usage of just 210 cd/m2. I haven’t seen figures like that since the netbook days!

My recommendation: Don’t buy the Lenovo Yoga 300. Even if it’s on offer. And while we’re at it, where’s the alternative. The ASUS, Toshiba and Acer offers in this segment aren’t that good either. I say wait and save up for the one I’m using right now Even if it’s a 4GB / 64 GB / Core m3 version of the Lenovo Yoga 710 11 it’s going to be much more usable than the Yoga 300 11.

I’ll probably have a video review of the Yoga 300 11 for you by the end of this week. (For Notebookcheck,)

Posted on 29 March 2016

I’ve had some time with a production sample of the Lenovo Yoga 710 and while I can’t bring you a full review there’s a lot I can tell you about it. The Yoga 710 is an 11.6-inch ultramobile Windows convertible (laptop-style with 360-degree hinge) running on a Core M CPU. Bloggers had unlimited access to it at CeBIT earlier this month and were able to draw a lot of conclusions. Here’s my summary review.

The Lenovo Yoga 710 is incredibly slick, has a great screen and the keyboard is working very well, at least for me. It’s Macbook-like for sure but not quite the fasion-piece and it’s likely to be offered at a lower price, according to reports. For me it’s one of the most important subnotebooks of the year.

Note: All information here based on the pre-production sample shown at CeBIT.

Posted on 25 November 2015

After testing a number of high-end devices recently, including gaming-capable PCs and the Surface Pro 4, it was a really interesting experience with the Toshiba Satelite Click 10 last week. Going from €1500 of Surface Pro 4 down to €399 of entry-level mobile 2-in-1, with the same total weight, highlighted just how much value you can get for your money…and what the differences are between high-end and low-end. My video review for Notebookcheck is embedded below in this article but I’ve also added thoughts about how the Click 10 compares with the ASUS Transformer Book T100HA (good power, storage options) and the Acer Switch 10E (a great budget 2-in-1.)

Posted on 16 October 2015

My colleagues at Notebookcheck have just finished the full review of the ASUS Transformer Book T100HA which is a 2-in-1 PC that I and many other people here have been interested in. It takes the successful Transformer Book and makes a big step forward with a new design, new port set-up and even offers a 4GB RAM option for $299. I have requested a T100HA for video review and I hope that it comes soon but let me highlight some points from the Notebookcheck full review that just went live.

ASUS Transformer Book T100HA full review now available at Notebookcheck.

Posted on 12 September 2015

I’ve just ordered a Windows 10 2-in-1 with Atom X5-Z8500, 4 GB RAM, USB 3.1 / USB C and 64 GB storage for 379 Euro. (Amazon Germany.) That’s just under $350 in pre-tax USA pricing and having had some hands-on with the Transformer Book T100HA last week I’m confident that it’s a bargain 2-in-1 and that it will be very popular this quarter, unless I find some gotchas. The entry-level model with 32 GB storage and 2 GB RAM is being offered at just €309 – $280 (pre-19% tax conversion.) My T100HA will be here in 5-6 days and yes, there will be plenty of coverage here at UMPCPortal.

Update: The delivery estimate went from 5-6 days to infinity and I haven’t found an alternative retailer yet.

Posted on 04 September 2015

After testing the Archos Flip (which doesn’t look like a Lenovo Yoga BTW!) I’m disappointed that Archos are only planning to release this in France. Obviously if it sells well it will move to other European countries but I doubt it will happen this year. Here’s a rundown of my hands-on experience with it.

Posted on 03 September 2015

The Acer Aspire Switch 10V takes the new 11V design and shrinks it down a little to make an overall improvement on the original Switch 10. There’s an Atom X5 (Z8300) on the inside along with a Full HD screen. Hands-on video at the base of this article.

Posted on 02 September 2015

Acer launched a new Chromebook at IFA today. The Chromebook R11 is a lightweight 11.6-inch convertible with a good keyboard and large touchpad. The 1366 x 768 screen is entry-level but the Braswell processor should offer quite a bit more than the ASUS Chromebook Flip that it will compete with. Hands-on video below.

Posted on 24 August 2015

A full week before we expect Intel’s Skylake 6th-generation processors to officially launch there’s a signal that Lenovo will be launching a new Yoga 900 with Skylake architecture inside. Unlike the Yoga 3 Pro from 2014 it will have a full-fat Ultrabook-style processor. Core i5 and i7 should offer significant performance improvements over the previous generation Yoga 3 Pro.